17: Quality Isn’t A Testing Problem, It’s a Culture Problem

In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee are joined by renowned agile testing expert Janet Gregory to explore what it really takes to build a strong quality culture in modern engineering teams.

Together, they unpack the realities of consulting in different organizations, how to assess quality culture, and why testing is often misunderstood as the problem instead of a symptom. The conversation dives into holistic testing, the role of communication, and how small behavior changes can drive big cultural shifts.

We discuss:

• Why “fixing testers” is often the wrong approach

• How to assess quality culture through observation, questions, and patterns

• The impact of silos and “silence” on team effectiveness

• What holistic testing really means in practice

• How to create shared ownership of quality across teams

• The role of leadership in enabling strong quality practices

The episode also explores what testing leadership looks like in today’s world, especially as teams move away from traditional roles toward shared responsibility. From empowering testers to use their voice to helping leaders advocate for quality, this conversation offers practical insights for anyone looking to improve how their team builds and delivers software.

Connect with Janet: 

🌐 Websites: https://janetgregory.ca/ and https://agiletestingfellow.com/ 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetgregory 

🦋 BlueSky: @janetgregoryca.bsky.social

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